Hair drier



May 11, 1954 Filed July 29, 19512 H. A. LOCKWOOD HAIR DRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet l HARRY A. LOG

IN VENTOR KWOOD ATTORNEYS y 11, 1954 H. A. LOCKWOOD 2,678,376

HAIR DRIER Filed July 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F I 6 l4 x/J l INVENTOR HARRY A. LOOKWOOD ATTORNEYS Patented May 11, 1954 UNITED PATENT OFFICE 1 This invention relatesgenerally to drying apr paratus and more particularly to a ,po rtahle drier such as a hair drier and its supporting-stand.

Driers of this general type are known in the artand are usually characterized by a Il lmb erof inherent disadvantages. Among these are an; un necessary bull: and weight, a highly excessive level of noise in .operation, ,and the di scharge of a smallstream o'flair atfa hightemperature velocity which, in addition to increasing the noise level, severely increases the danger of the user receiving a burn from theairstream. Thedr'iers heretofore available have also had anunriecssarily .eomplicated structure resulting in high first cost and diffi culty'.inmaintenance and the replacement or worn parts.

Accordingly, the chief object of the present invention is to provide an improved drier structure which will obviate.theabove mentioned. undesirable characteristics-of knowndi'iers.

Another important object offthe present-inventi onjis to provide ahirn'provedportablehair drier including a novel casingwhichfenables the ready assembly of the various parts which cooperate with eachotherand thecasing to' inaintainltheir relative operating positions.

A further important-objectof theinvention is to provideah improved portalole hair drier which is light in Weightand balanced.withres pect its supportinghandleand. stand. I

A still further important object of the invention is -.to provide an improved portable drier having acarrying handle and cooperating. stand which enable' the heated air fr'oim the drier toloe manually directedor the drier to beplacedpn is supporting table, etc., in any of anumher ofladjustedpositions to properly direct the fl'o w.;of air from .the'dri'er nozzle.

Another-object of the inventionis to provide an improvedeportable drier embodying operating controls which enable the fan motor jto be operated with or without the heating coil.

Other objects and advantagesof the invention il e om vapparent .s u n th Pi s-Fe :Zb h iollowing description.

In its broadest aspects, the invention conternplates an improved drier in which falarge volume of air is substantially l, noiselessly discharged at low velocity; from -a twopartplastic case held together by a single-screw and,s o formed aseto enable the various parts to cooperate aligning and maintaining themselves in operative position.

h in l. h ve. shew-1 n lemtqdim e of the invention. ,In thissho V new e pew s e er e 2 and its supporting stand comprising the present inv t d i 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of thedrier t'akenon the line' 2+2 of Figure'l; FigureB is a perspective view of'a detail of the case aligningmeans Figuree is a vertical longitudinal sectionalview of the drier taken on the line 44 of Figure 2; Figure5 is a perspective view of the heating elementjand Figure 6 is averticalsectional view of the drier a Referring to the drawings, numeral 10 designates the ,drier as a wholewh'i'c'h .forpurpo'ses'of illustration is shownas the'hai'r drier type and comprises essentially a fan Fdrive'n" by a relatively low speed electricinotor a heating'unit H, a handle H including'laswitch S, a supporting stand 12 and anelectric cord (3 passing through the stand and conhe'ting'the drier 'r'notor and 'h'e atingunit with a suitable Sourceof power.

The drier casing'and'stand is 'preferab'ly formed of molded .or .dieca'st plastic material of suitable strengthfor the purp'ose'inque'stion s'u'chas polystyrene; .phenol formaldeh yde, etc. The gener ally spherical casing "I'llIand-handle l'l is divided along 'a substantially central "line L3 into an air inlet portion .4 and an'air outlet ortion [5 and theirmating edges are provided with an interfitting annular fiangeflfi and groove I! to properlyal'ign the hemispherical portions du'ringjassembly'of the drier.

The casin half 14 is. providedwith 'anairinlet port 20 whichis provided with a decorative and. protectivegrill work 2! and its handle portion includes an 'apertured screw-receiving boss 22,

the outer portion of the aper'ture being countersunk forthe reception ofa scr'ewfhead. A similarb'oss ,23 having an inwardly op'ningthreaded aperture is provided in the mating. handle portion and itwillbe noted thatjthe sections Hand 15 of the plastiocasing 'l ll are aligned'fb'y the flange 15 and. groove l'IYwhile being .h'e'ld' together bythe si le screw :24 thro gh" theihamue" bosses .22

and 23."

The outlet or nozzle half l5 of thecasing I0 (Figured). is..p'rovid'ed Withan air disohaifg port .2 5 which is .diarnetricallyhrjidged .by. the .;web' 26 of, a generally U-shaped, .verti'cjally disposed .rib 21 formed integrally .with the in'n'erside of the casing. The inner ziaces of lthe legs of thei rib 21 ..and the-web 26. are provided with a pair of spaced, inwardly..proje'cting flanges whichQform a guidin andsr'estrainiiig track-.QIL-forfthe recep- ,fiib iian -ie iii iifi s lh heatiii e mem aevaevc The heating element 1-1 (Figure 5) is preferably formed of a pair of reversely slotted, interfitting ceramic elements 3| and 32 disposed and held by the engagement of the sides of the slot of one with the surface of the other at right angles to each other and having a heating coil 33 wound about their edges. The edges may be notched to retain the coil turns in position. The element 3i is provided with an arcuate notch 34 in one of its ends for a purpose to be described and with a pair of radially outwardly projecting lugs 35 which support the heating element H in the legs of the track 30. It will be noted that the op-posite end of the element 3| projects beyond the same end of the element 32 and engages the web of the track when in operative position. If desired, the ceramic heating elements 3| and 32 may be integral so as to be a one-piece support for the heating coil 33.

The motor M is mounted in vertical position against the ends of the legs of the U -shaped rib 2? by the screws 29 and rotatably mounts the fan F on its horizontal shaft 36. The motor hub portion 3I fits in the arcuate notch 34 of the heating element 3i to clamp it firmly in the track 33 of the casing portion I5.

To further facilitate the assembly of the hemispherical casing halves HI and I5 and retain them in assembled relationship, an apertured aligning and retaining clip 43 (Figure 3) is mounted against the motor M behind the head of the upper screw 29. The clip is formed with a pair of relatively angularly disposed wings M which taper to form a positioning space 22 for the reception of an aligning rib 53 formed longitudinally on the upper inner surface of the casing half I4. Thus, when the casing halves are brought together during assembly, th clip 33 and the rib 43 cooperate to accurately ali n the casing halves, and the edges of the wings which define the space 42 engage the sides of the rib to frictionally hold the halves together.

It will be noted that in the drier structure described, the motor M is mounted substantially at the midpoint of the casing I3 with the fan F and heating element H on opposite sides thereof. This arrangement ensures proper cooling of the motor M and a proper balance of the drier I ii about its handle II resulting in more convenient handling thereof and also enables the drier to maintain any adjusted position when supported by the stand I2 as shown in Figure 1.

As seen in Figure 2, the handle portion iI of the casing half I5 has formed therein a pair of spaced, centrally located and vertically extending ribs 44 which form a guideway or track for the sliding electrical contacts 45 and 46 of the switch S. The contacts are fixed to and actuated by a knob 41 which is slidable in and projects through a slot 50 formed in the handle I l.

The plurality of vertically spaced horizontal ribs 5I connect the ribs 44 with the inner sides of the handle II and act as insulators for fixed contact plates 52, 53, and 54 which also close the guideway formed by the ribs 44 and. confine the sliding contacts 45 and 43 therein. The con tact plates and their electrical connections are attached to bosses formed in the handle II by screws BI. The contacts 45 and 45 are of a resilient electrically conducting material and are held in a compressed condition by contact plates 52, 53, and 54 to insure good electrical contact and hold the switch 41 firmly against the inner wall of the handle II An electrical conduit enters the lower end of the handle I I through an F obtained by the high velocity type.

1 rected on the object to be dried.

aperture 55 and connections are made with the contact plates 52, 53, and 54 and with the motor M and the heating element H.

Operation of the drier I0 is readily controlled by the switch knob 41. As seen in Figure 4, the knob is in the off position and all of the sliding contacts engage the contact plate 52. When the knob is moved to a position intermediate of the slot 50, the contact 46 engages the contact plate 53 to energize the circuit of the motor M. When the switch knob 41 is moved to the upper end of the slot 50, the contact 46 engages the contact plate 54 to energize the heating element H while the upper end of the double contact 45 engages the plate 53 to also keep the fan motor circuit closed.

The combination of the propeller type fan F, the large inlet port 20, and the converging walls of the casing half I5 to the outlet port 25 produces a large volume of air discharging from the drier at a relatively low velocity. Because of this condition, the air stream remains more homogeneous than is a higher velocity air stream of small cross section and maintains a more constant temperature throughout a greater distance from the outlet 25. A higher velocity stream in volves reduced pressure immediately adjacent to the air stream thereby causing ambient air to be mixed with the heated air which results in a more rapid reduction to temperature as the mass progresses. With the drier comprising the present invention, a lower outlet temperature will equal at a distance of one foot the temperature The drier I0 may be placed very close to the users head without danger of burns. In this manner, the drier acts on a large area of the head to dry the hair rapidly and safely.

The stand I2 comprises an open tubular base 63, the axis of which is inclined at an angle with respect to the vertical of 10 or more degrees. The base is provided with a plurality of angularly spaced legs 56 projecting radially therefrom and terminating in downwardly turned feet 51 which space the bottom of the base from the supporting table, etc. The legs are provided with lateral down turned flanges 60 which are notched intermediate the legs as at 59 to ensure adequate clearance for the electrical conduit 0 which passes up through the base I2 into the drier handle I I. The lower portion of the inner wall of the base 63 has a plurality of angularly spaced radially projecting lugs 62 formed integral therewith and having upwardly and outwardly inclined faces which cooperate to form a tapered supporting socket for the lower end of the handle I I (Figures 1 and 6). When the handle I I rests in the socket, the upper peripheral edge of the tubular base 53 will engage the periphery of the handle I I intermediate its length due to the taper of the handle. In use, the drier may be manually held with or without the stand while the air blast is di If the handle II alone is picked up, the electrical conduit C will be readily drawn through the tubular base 63 while the stand I2 remains in place. However, the handle I I and the base I2 may be simultaneously picked up and easily held during the desired manipulation of the drier.

As shown in Figure 1, the drier and stand may be placed on a support such as a table, etc. with the air blast directed on the object to be dried. A ready adjustment of the direction of the air being first connected to the element H. The

motor M, fan 26 and the aligning and retaining clip 40 are assembled as a unit and clamped to the ribs 21 by the screws 29 to complete the assembly in the hemispherical portion of the casing section Hi.

The sliding contacts 45 and 46 are now placed in the track formed by the ribs 44 with the switch control knob 4'1 projecting through the slot 50. The contact plates 52, 53 and 54 are now positioned between the horizontal insulating ribs 5| and, after the circuit Wires to the motor M and the heater element H are connected, screwed to the handle. The electrical conduit C which need not be fed up through the base 12 as the plug will pass therethrough is now connected to the above circuit wires.

The two halves I4 and [5 of the casing I0 are now aligned and partly held together by the rib 43 and the aligning and retaining clip 40 and connected together in rigid assembly by the single screw 24 in the handle I I. It will be readily apparent that the drier I!) may be as readily disassembled for repair or inspection as required.

It will now be seen that the drier and stand comprising the present invention provide a light weight, balanced device which may be readily manufactured, assembled and repaired, is very efficient and quiet in use whet-her manually held or not, and which will deliver a large volume of air at a relatively low velocity, heated or not as desired. The large volume, low temperature and velocity stream of air discharged from the drier makes it unnecessary to hold the fan at arms length and thereby greatly reduces fatigue when manually supported. Moreover, fatigue to the user is further reduced by the combination of the propeller type fan which practically completely eliminates any noise of operation.

It is to be understood that the form of the:

invention herewith shown and described is to I be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A portable drier comprising a casing having a supporting handle depending therefrom, air inlet and outlet ports formed in said casing, a heating element mounted in said casing, and a fan including a motor mounted in said casing over said handle to balance the casing with respect to the handle, said heating element being clamped in said casing against said outlet port by said motor.

2. A portable drier comprising a casing having a supporting handle depending therefrom, air inlet and outlet ports formed in said casing, a heating element mounted in said casing, a fan including a motor mounted in said casing over saidhandle to balance the casing with respect to the handle, and supporting means for said handle, said supporting means comprising a tubular base angularly disposed with respect to the vertical.

.3. A casing for 1a drier including a heating element, a fan and a motor for driving the fan comprising a generally spherical casing h'avinginlet and outlet ports and a handle depending centrally therefrom, .a U-shaped rib in said casing having its web spanning one of said ports, flanges on the inner faces of said rib to slidably receive and restrain the heating element, and meansfor clamping the heating element in said tracks against the web. I

4. A casing for a drier including .a heating element, a fan and a motor for driving the fan comprising a generally spherical casing having inlet and outlet ports and a handle depending centrally therefrom, a U-shaped rib in said casing having its web spanning one of said ports, flanges on the inner faces of said rib to slidably receive and restrain the heating element, and means for clamping the heating element in said tracks against the web, said casing and said handle being separable along a line substantially at their common midpoint.

5. A casing for a drier including a heating element, a fan and a motor for driving the fan comprising a generally spherical casing having inlet and outlet ports and a handle depending centrally therefrom, a U-shaped rib in said casing having its web spanning one of said ports, flanges on the inner faces of said rib to slidably receive and restrain the heating element, means for clamping the heating element in said tracks against the web, and means for supporting said casing and said handle with the longitudinal axis of the casing in a horizontal position.

6. A casing for a drier including a heating element, a fan and a motor for driving the fan comprising a generally spherical casing having inlet and outlet ports and a handle depending centrally therefrom, a U-shaped rib in said casing having its web spanning one of said ports. flanges on the inner faces of said rib to slidably receive and restrain the heating element, means for clamping the heating element in said tracks against the web, and means for supporting said casing and said handle in an inclined position.

7. A casing for a drier including a heating element, a fan and a motor for driving the fan. comprising a generally sphericaI casing having inlet and outlet ports and a handle depending centrally therefrom, a U-shaped rib in said casing having its web spanning one of said ports, flanges on the inner faces of said rib to slidably receive and restrain the heating element, means for clamping the heating element in said tracks against the web, and means for supporting said casing and said handle with the longitudinal axis of the casing in a horizontal position, said supporting means comprising a tubular base angularly disposed with respect to the vertical.

8. A casing for a drier including a heating element, a fan and a motor for driving the fan comprising a generally spherical casing having inlet and outlet ports and a handle depending centrally therefrom, a U-shaped rib in said casing having its web spanning one of said ports, flanges on the inner faces of said rib to slidably receive and restrain the heating element, means for clamping the heating element in said tracks against the web, and means for supporting said casing and. said handle in an inclined position, said supporting means comprising a tubular base angularly disposed with respect to the vertical.

9. A casing for a drier including a heating ele- 7 ment, a fan and a motor for drivin the fan comprising a generally spherical casing having inlet and outlet ports and a handle depending centrally therefrom, a U-shaped rib in said casing having its web spanning one of said ports, flanges on the inner faces of said rib to slidably receive and restrain the heating element, means for clamping the heating element in said tracks against the web, and means for supporting said casing and said handle with the longitudinal axis of the casing in a horizontal posi- 8 v i tion, said supporting means and said handle be ing relatively rotatable to effect an angular position change with respect to said axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,961,772 Martin June 5, 1934 10 2,201,506 Smith May 21, 1940 2,432,067 Morse Dec. 2, 1947 wnenaw 

